stone



(No Model.)

L. S. STONE & M. WATSON.

ENVELOPE OPENER, PAPER GUTTER, 8m. N0.'306,440. Patented Oct. 14, 1884.

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LYMAN S. STONE, OF NEV YORK, N. Y., AND MEEtILL XVATSON, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNORS TO THE JOURNAL OF OOMlllTEECE COMPANY FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE AGE OF STEEL.

ENVELOPE OPENER, PAPER=CUTTER, 81,6.

SPECIFXCATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 306,440, dated October 14:. 188

Application filed February 18, 1984. (X model.)

To all 1072/0717, it may concern.-

Be it known that we, LYMAN S. STONE and MERRILL Warson, citizens of the United States of America, the former residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, and the latter at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Combined llIeasure,Ruler,Letter-Opener, Paper Cutter and Folder,of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention consists of a combined paper folder and cutter, letter-opener, measure or square, and ruler, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents aplan view of the combined tool. Fig. 2 is an end view of the butt of the handle. Fig. 8 represents a plan view of the inner face of one-half of the handle,with the blade in position. Fig. l represents a perspective view of one-half of the handle,with its inner face uppermost.

This instrument is designed for use by literary and business men, and general office use,

as a combined ruler for drawing short lines, a square or measure for measuring distances, a paper folder and cutter, and a letter-opener. The handle A is constructed in two parts,B B, of hard rubber or other suitable material,and

of any convenient or desired length. Each member B has its outer edges beveled, as at O, in order that when said members are secured together said handle can be readily used as a ruler for ruling lines with an ordinary or other pen or pencil without soiling the paper, as by beveling the edges the sides of the handle will, when resting upon the paper to be ruled, be raised above the same, and thus the smearing of the ruled lines when ink is used is 0 avoided. The members 13 are attached together by rivets or other suitable means, D. The inner face of each member 13 is a plane surface, except for a portion of its length in which is formed a dowel or recess, E, of a 4 5 shape and size corresponding to the shape and size of the inner end of the blade F, to'be presently described. These dowels are each of a depth of about one-half of the thickness of the blade, in order that when said blade is placed in position and said members B B are placed over the blade and attachedtogether,said blade will be securely clamped in position by means of the snug fit of the two-part handle thereon. The inner end of the blade is perforated, as shown at G G, through which perforations the rivets connecting the two members at their front ends pass. The front end of the handle has a perfectly fiat and straight shoulder, H, in order that said handle may be pressed or placed and held steadily and evenly against a plane surface when it is desired to use the blade as a measure or rule. The blade F is of any suitable or desired length, and is formed out of a flat piece of spring-steel or some other suitable flexible, yet tough material, with unsharpened edges throughout its length, it being found in practice that paper can be more readily and evenly cut by unsharpened edges than by sharpened ones. This blade tapers to a point at its outer end, and has a beveled edge, I, by means of which taper the blade can be readily inserted beneath the flaps or folds of envelopes, and such envelopes readily opened by forcing said blade along the crease and cutting the envelope. By forming the point with a beveled edge the contents of the envelope will not be injured on the insertion within the envelope of said point. When it is desired to cut the folded leaves of a book, or to out folded papers, either of the edges of the blade can be used for that purpose, the blade being inserted between the folds and passed along the fold in the manner ordinarily employed in cutting papers. Lengthwise and on either one or both sides thereof the blade is stamped with the United Statesstandard gage in inches and fractions thereof, the 111- will be directly over said lowest rule-mark, and an accurate measurement can thus be readily obtained Without necessitating any adjustment of the device relatively to the articles to be measured, as would be the case were such rule-mark beyond the point of juncture of the shoulder H of the handle and the blade F. This blade F,besides being adapted for opening envelopes, cutting paper, and measuring distances, is also adapted,iu conjunction with the shoulder H of the handle, to be used with great exactness as a ruler, as said shoulder H, being perfectly straight, upon its being placed against the article to be ruled will bring and hold the blade in a perfectly straight position without possibility, so long as the handle is pressed against the article to be ruled, of any movement of the blade out of proper alignment.

By means of the handle the instrument can be readily and firmly grasped by the operator without injury to his hand, and a firm and steady movement of the blade while in use assured. By forming the handle with beveled edges, as described, not only is said handle adapted for use as aruler, but it also supports the blade in a raised position out of contact with the desk or table on which said handle rests, and thereby keeps said blade from becoming soiled by contact with ink or other matters from the desk or papers thereon.

This combined instrument is designed as an adjunct to the desk or table, and it is believed it will be found very useful to a business or literary man, as the utility of the instrument is great, as it furnishes in a single handy device adouble ruler, a measure, a paper-cutter, and a letter-opener, and paper-folder, in which latter connection the operator can readily hold and smooth down folded paper by passing the blade along the crease.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is- 1. The combined paper-cutter,letter-opener, and rule herein described, consisting Y of a blade having tapered outer end and beveledged point, and a handle of greater thickness than the blade, substantially as set forth.

2. As an article of manufacture, a combined; paper-cutter, letter-opener, rule, and measure, consisting of a blade having tapered outer end and bevel-edged point, and a standard gage on its face, and a handle having a straight shoulderlat its inner end, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof we after our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

LYMAN S. STONE. MERRILL WYATSON. Witnesses:

A. M. SHEFFIELD, E1). J. PRIAL, J. J. CAssIDAY, WV. E. BARNS. 

